Sharing Hearts and Touching Lives

A couple of weeks ago, my wife Evelyn and I were reminiscing about last December’s “Brush Strokes of Christmas Magic” children’s window painting program and the joy it brought to both the community and the children involved. We smiled as we talked of the lives and hearts that were touched by it.

“I have an idea.” I then mentioned to Evelyn, “Why don’t we see if we can get all five of our local elementary school’s children to craft Valentine cards and we can give them to patients at Good Samaritan Nursing Home… and to patients at Cibola General Hospital… and to other home care facilities to get to their clients… and perhaps for local firefighters and Police officers.” I asked her what she thought, and her response was: “I like that idea, let me contact the schools’ Principals, Assistant Principals and art teachers that had helped with the Christmas window paint program and see if they would like to participate.”

They all were receptive to the idea, and some already had children crafting Valentine cards in their classrooms. We asked for simple flat heart shapes on red construction paper with a note of kindness on the card.

We were pleasantly surprised when we picked them up last Friday, that there were over two hundred cards total combined from Mt. Taylor, San Rafael, Bluewater, Mesa View, and Milan Elementary schools. There are small, preprinted cards that pre-k children colored and stayed mostly within the lines. There are elaborate multifold cards, and some with raised hearts from the second, third, and fourth grade students. There are cards with robots with heart shapes on their bodies. They are children’s art, handcrafted in the spirit of love.

There are notes attached for the recipient, including: “Be my valentine,” or “I love you,” or “Have a nice day” and a few reminders that “Jesus loves you.”

Isn’t this nice? ”Sharing Hearts and Touching Lives”?

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Roger Siegmann - CC